Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Kiev this morning “to meet with Ukrainian leaders and reiterate the support of the United States for Ukraine’s fight for freedom,” according to a Pentagon statement. Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov while in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s weapons needs and how the US can continue to support the country’s military over the next year, reported [https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/21/politics/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-ukraine-visit/index.html] CNN. After their meeting, Zelensky wrote on X that he discussed expanding the use of long-range strike capabilities against Russian military targets.
The secretary’s visit was also meant to serve as a moment for him to “step back” and look at the “arc” of the US-Ukraine relationship over the last two and a half years of war, a senior defense official said. The official hastened to add, however, that this was no victory lap for Austin. The Ukrainians are in a “very tough” situation against the Russians heading into winter, the official noted.
